Chief, Medical Supervisors Fired for Having Sex on Duty

Deputy chief disciplined for inappropriate texts

Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 10:41 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 10:41 a.m.

BARTOW | A Polk County Fire battalion chief and two medical supervisors have been fired after an internal investigation found the three had ongoing and sexual affairs while on duty and on county property, according to reports.

Facts

The initial investigation was first handled as a sexual harassment case.

Battalion Chief Trampas Fletcher and medical supervisors Michael Tomlinson and Shellie Krauklis were notified of the investigation's findings Tuesday, according to letters from Assistant Fire Chief Rick Parnell. Tomlinson and Fletcher are accused of separately having sex with Krauklis while on duty and on county property.

The county determined a fourth employee, Deputy Chief Michael Choate, didn't engage in any sexual conduct with Krauklis while on or off duty, but he told an investigator he did send and receive inappropriate text messages on his county-issued cellphone, reports said. Choate has been suspended for seven days without pay and will be placed on probation for a year. The punishment will cost him about $2,500 in lost pay.

Last month, county officials received allegations that "Fire Rescue supervisors engaged in conduct of a sexual nature, while on and off duty, as well as on and off BoCC (Board of County Commissioners) property. Additionally, they allegedly used BoCC owned cellular phones to discuss and plan their sexual encounters," according to the report.

INVESTIGATION

The initial investigation was first handled as a sexual harassment case, but after interviews with Fletcher, Tomlinson and Krauklis, the investigator found everything had been consensual, the report said. A formal investigation into the matter was ordered by County Manager Jim Freeman on Feb. 7.

"The employees that we must terminate have each been employed with the BoCC for at least 15 years," Polk Fire Rescue Chief David Cash said in an emailed statement. "All of them are well aware of the standards of conduct that was expected of them."

Krauklis told investigators she had sexual contact with both Fletcher and Tomlinson numerous times while at work and on duty, the report said.

"Ms. Krauklis stated that she engaged in such consensual sexual acts with Mr. Fletcher as kissing, oral sex, and sexual intercourse approximately 10 to 15 times, while both of them were on duty," the investigator wrote.

Fletcher disagreed with the number of times the two had sex at work, telling investigators it happened three or four times in two of the fire stations and at the battalion and medical supervisor's office, reports said.

Tomlinson denied allegations he had sex with Krauklis while on duty and said the two had sex only once and that it wasn't on county property. The report, however, said he had told another fire official that he did have sex on duty and on county property.

Choate admitted he and Krauklis sent each other text messages on a county-issued cellphone, saying they wanted to kiss each other and about meeting to hug or kiss, reports said.

Krauklis also sent and received messages from both Tomlinson and Fletcher about their sexual encounters, the reports said, but those weren't sent on county cell phones.

"In fact, Mr. Tomlinson stated that he sent and received perverse text messages back and forth with Ms. Krauklis," an investigator wrote in a report. "He also stated that he sent Ms. Krauklis one pornographic picture, but she did not send him a pornographic picture."

According to county records, Fletcher made $62,229 a year, Tomlinson $51,629 and Krauklis $49,882.

Union President Jeff Calcutt said grievances will be filed with the county for Fletcher, Tomlinson and Krauklis citing a "timeline issue" that questions when those involved found out about the investigation and when a formal investigation was ordered.

Calcutt said it appears that the way the investigation was handled didn't meet the standards required by the union's contract with the county.

"We are not claiming as a union that they didn't commit these acts," he said. "They admitted these acts (in the investigation). It's the union's job to make sure everything was followed by the book."

It is expected the case will end up in mediation, Calcutt said. "None of it is going to be easy. It's going to be a long, drawn out process."

OTHER INFRACTIONS

This isn't the first time Fletcher and Krauklis have faced disciplinary actions, according to a review of their personnel files.

In 2004, when Fletcher was a lieutenant, he was disciplined after a department investigation concluded a firefighter under his supervision gave lingerie to an 18-year-old high school student at a fire station.

Fletcher was there at the time of the incident and didn't report it, according to records. Firefighter John Vinzant admitted to investigators that he bought the lingerie as a gag gift for the student, who had participated in the county's ride-along program.

Both Vinzant and Fletcher denied statements made by another firefighter, Jason Villeneuve, who said the young woman was asked to, and did, model the lingerie at the station, the records show.

"He described the sight as, ‘it left nothing to the imagination'?" the report said. But when investigators talked to the young woman, she told them that while she received the gift, she never tried it on in front of the men.

In that case, Fletcher was given a written reprimand, required to attend diversity training and was barred for one year from temporary promotions that come when a higher-ranking firefighter is absent.

Although he received the disciplinary action, there was no mention of the incident in Fletcher's annual review for that year, according to his personnel file. During his time with the department, Fletcher's reviews showed consistent marks between satisfactory and excellent.

In another case, Krauklis was suspended without pay for 96 hours in 2009.

During that instance, investigators found Krauklis, who was an EMS district chief at the time, had spent her evening hours sleeping at her home, rather than the county station where she was assigned. Her sleep habits continued between January and April 2009 and were tracked by the county's vehicle tracking system. Investigators also found she visited her home during daytime work hours when she was not allowed to do so.

The incident was mentioned in Krauklis' annual review, and she was marked down accordingly by her superiors. During her time with the county, she also had several written reprimands and counseling for minor infractions, but also received high marks from supervisors between successful and excellent.

Krauklis also received numerous awards for her work including Paramedic of the Year between 2003 and 2005 and EMT of the year in 1997.

Tomlinson had received two notes of written counseling for minor infractions and received high marks on his annual reviews. He also was given two commendation reports for his work in 1998.

Choate, who was hired by the county last year, received high marks and praise in his first annual review, according to a review of records.

[ Jeremy Maready can be reached at jeremy.maready@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. ]

<p>BARTOW | A Polk County Fire battalion chief and two medical supervisors have been fired after an internal investigation found the three had ongoing and sexual affairs while on duty and on county property, according to reports.</p><p>Battalion Chief Trampas Fletcher and medical supervisors Michael Tomlinson and Shellie Krauklis were notified of the investigation's findings Tuesday, according to letters from Assistant Fire Chief Rick Parnell. Tomlinson and Fletcher are accused of separately having sex with Krauklis while on duty and on county property.</p><p>The county determined a fourth employee, Deputy Chief Michael Choate, didn't engage in any sexual conduct with Krauklis while on or off duty, but he told an investigator he did send and receive inappropriate text messages on his county-issued cellphone, reports said. Choate has been suspended for seven days without pay and will be placed on probation for a year. The punishment will cost him about $2,500 in lost pay.</p><p>Last month, county officials received allegations that "Fire Rescue supervisors engaged in conduct of a sexual nature, while on and off duty, as well as on and off BoCC (Board of County Commissioners) property. Additionally, they allegedly used BoCC owned cellular phones to discuss and plan their sexual encounters," according to the report.</p><p> </p><p><b>INVESTIGATION</b></p><p>The initial investigation was first handled as a sexual harassment case, but after interviews with Fletcher, Tomlinson and Krauklis, the investigator found everything had been consensual, the report said. A formal investigation into the matter was ordered by County Manager Jim Freeman on Feb. 7.</p><p>"The employees that we must terminate have each been employed with the BoCC for at least 15 years," Polk Fire Rescue Chief David Cash said in an emailed statement. "All of them are well aware of the standards of conduct that was expected of them."</p><p>Krauklis told investigators she had sexual contact with both Fletcher and Tomlinson numerous times while at work and on duty, the report said.</p><p>"Ms. Krauklis stated that she engaged in such consensual sexual acts with Mr. Fletcher as kissing, oral sex, and sexual intercourse approximately 10 to 15 times, while both of them were on duty," the investigator wrote.</p><p>Fletcher disagreed with the number of times the two had sex at work, telling investigators it happened three or four times in two of the fire stations and at the battalion and medical supervisor's office, reports said.</p><p>Tomlinson denied allegations he had sex with Krauklis while on duty and said the two had sex only once and that it wasn't on county property. The report, however, said he had told another fire official that he did have sex on duty and on county property.</p><p>Choate admitted he and Krauklis sent each other text messages on a county-issued cellphone, saying they wanted to kiss each other and about meeting to hug or kiss, reports said.</p><p>Krauklis also sent and received messages from both Tomlinson and Fletcher about their sexual encounters, the reports said, but those weren't sent on county cell phones.</p><p>"In fact, Mr. Tomlinson stated that he sent and received perverse text messages back and forth with Ms. Krauklis," an investigator wrote in a report. "He also stated that he sent Ms. Krauklis one pornographic picture, but she did not send him a pornographic picture."</p><p>According to county records, Fletcher made $62,229 a year, Tomlinson $51,629 and Krauklis $49,882.</p><p>Union President Jeff Calcutt said grievances will be filed with the county for Fletcher, Tomlinson and Krauklis citing a "timeline issue" that questions when those involved found out about the investigation and when a formal investigation was ordered.</p><p>Calcutt said it appears that the way the investigation was handled didn't meet the standards required by the union's contract with the county.</p><p>"We are not claiming as a union that they didn't commit these acts," he said. "They admitted these acts (in the investigation). It's the union's job to make sure everything was followed by the book."</p><p>It is expected the case will end up in mediation, Calcutt said. "None of it is going to be easy. It's going to be a long, drawn out process."</p><p> </p><p><b>OTHER INFRACTIONS</b></p><p>This isn't the first time Fletcher and Krauklis have faced disciplinary actions, according to a review of their personnel files.</p><p>In 2004, when Fletcher was a lieutenant, he was disciplined after a department investigation concluded a firefighter under his supervision gave lingerie to an 18-year-old high school student at a fire station.</p><p>Fletcher was there at the time of the incident and didn't report it, according to records. Firefighter John Vinzant admitted to investigators that he bought the lingerie as a gag gift for the student, who had participated in the county's ride-along program.</p><p>Both Vinzant and Fletcher denied statements made by another firefighter, Jason Villeneuve, who said the young woman was asked to, and did, model the lingerie at the station, the records show.</p><p>"He described the sight as, 'it left nothing to the imagination'?" the report said. But when investigators talked to the young woman, she told them that while she received the gift, she never tried it on in front of the men.</p><p>In that case, Fletcher was given a written reprimand, required to attend diversity training and was barred for one year from temporary promotions that come when a higher-ranking firefighter is absent.</p><p>Although he received the disciplinary action, there was no mention of the incident in Fletcher's annual review for that year, according to his personnel file. During his time with the department, Fletcher's reviews showed consistent marks between satisfactory and excellent.</p><p>In another case, Krauklis was suspended without pay for 96 hours in 2009.</p><p>During that instance, investigators found Krauklis, who was an EMS district chief at the time, had spent her evening hours sleeping at her home, rather than the county station where she was assigned. Her sleep habits continued between January and April 2009 and were tracked by the county's vehicle tracking system. Investigators also found she visited her home during daytime work hours when she was not allowed to do so.</p><p>The incident was mentioned in Krauklis' annual review, and she was marked down accordingly by her superiors. During her time with the county, she also had several written reprimands and counseling for minor infractions, but also received high marks from supervisors between successful and excellent.</p><p>Krauklis also received numerous awards for her work including Paramedic of the Year between 2003 and 2005 and EMT of the year in 1997.</p><p>Tomlinson had received two notes of written counseling for minor infractions and received high marks on his annual reviews. He also was given two commendation reports for his work in 1998.</p><p>Choate, who was hired by the county last year, received high marks and praise in his first annual review, according to a review of records.</p><p> </p><p>[ Jeremy Maready can be reached at jeremy.maready@theledger.com or 863-802-7592. ]</p>